Live Nation is pleased to announce that Sting will extend his critically-acclaimed world tour, Symphonicity, to Australia and New Zealand in January and February, 2011.

The Australian tour will begin January 22 in Perth (Sandalford Estate) followed by performances in the Barossa Valley and Melbourne (Music Bowl), with an additional two-night engagement at the renowned Sydney Opera House. The tour will also make stops at the Hope Estate Winery in Hunter Valley and the Brisbane River Stage before continuing to New Zealand, where Sting will perform at the Westpac Arena in Christchurch, before concluding at the already sold-out Mission Estate Winery, on February 12 in Napier Valley.

Following sold-out performances throughout North America and Europe, Symphonicity finds Sting performing his greatest hits, re-imagined for symphonic arrangement, conducted by Maestro Steven Mercurio (Pavarotti, Bocelli). For this portion of the tour, Symphonicity will feature the Melbourne Symphony Orchestra in Perth, Barossa Valley and Melbourne, the Sydney Symphony in Sydney, Brisbane and Hunter Valley, with the New Zealand Symphony Orchestra performing in Christchurch and Napier, NZ.

Fan Club presales for all dates, with the exception of the Napier show which was previously announced and went on sale in August, will begin on Tuesday, October 12 at 9AM (local time), with legacy Fan Club members enjoying a one hour advance window at the start and presales then opening to all members at 10AM (local time). Public sale for all newly announced shows will commence Wednesday, October 22 at 9AM (local time).

The Australia/New Zealand itinerary is:

Date

City

Venue

22 Jan

Perth

Sandalford Estate Swan Valley Winery

26 Jan

Adelaide

Barossa Arts & Convention Centre

28 Jan

Melbourne

Sidney Myer Music Bowl

31 Jan

Sydney

Opera House Concert Hall

01 Feb

Sydney

Opera House Concert Hall

05 Feb

Hunter Valley, NSW

Hope Estate Winery

07 Feb

Brisbane

The Riverstage

10 Feb

Christchurch

CBS Canterbury Arena

12 Feb

Napier

Mission Estate Winery

Sting will also be joined by a group of accomplished musicians, comprised of Dominic Miller (Sting's longtime guitarist), Rhani Krija (Sting's longtime multi-genre percussionist), David Cossin (a multi-percussion specialist in new and experimental music and featured member of the Bang on a Can All-Stars), Jo Lawry (Australian vocalist) and Ira Coleman (bassist).

"I am looking forward to performing in Australia and New Zealand, having a whole new palate of musical colors to work with and reinventing the songs that have been the staples of my live shows for over thirty years," says Sting.

Drawing from a diverse and illustrious career that has produced numerous multi-platinum albums, a staggering list of number one songs, countless accolades and worldwide record sales of nearly 100 million, Sting's most celebrated songs have been re-interpreted with brand new orchestrations arranged by Jorge Calandrelli, David Hartley, Michel Legrand, Rob Mathes, Vince Mendoza, Steven Mercurio, Bill Ross, Robert Sadin, and Nicola Tescari.

Selections, created especially for this tour, will include fan-favorites such as The Police hits 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Roxanne', 'Next To You' and 'Every Breath You Take', to notable songs from Sting's enduring solo career - 'Englishman In New York', 'Fragile', 'Russians', 'If I Ever Lose My Faith In You', 'Fields Of Gold', and 'Desert Rose'.

To accompany Sting's celebrated world tour, Deutsche Grammophon/CherryTree Records, recently announced a live CD/DVD package, 'Live in Berlin', featuring the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra, conducted by Steven Mercurio, available internationally on November 26, 2010. This exclusive collection features previously unreleased material and many of his greatest hits, such as 'Roxanne', 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'King Of Pain', 'Fields Of Gold', and more, all re-imagined for symphonic arrangement. Featuring special guest Branford Marsalis on select tracks, this live concert experience is quintessential Symphonicity!

Deutsche Grammophon/CherryTree Records also released a companion studio album, 'Symphonicities', to critical acclaim. Highlights include fan-favorites culled from The Police songbook such as 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic', 'Roxanne' and 'Next To You', as well as songs from Sting's solo career including 'Englishman In New York', 'I Burn for You', 'Why Should I Cry for You' and 'She's Too Good For Me', among many others.

Sting's first venture into the classical realm began with the success of his #1 album 'Songs from the Labyrinth', a lute-based interpretation of the music of 16th century composer John Dowland, released in 2006 on Deutsche Grammophon. After completing the enormously successful Police reunion world tour, Sting returned to pursue his passion for combining musical genres with his most recent release 'If On A Winter's Night...' which debuted at #1 on Billboard's classical chart.

Prior to starting his solo career, Sting was the principal songwriter, lead singer and bassist of the rock band The Police. As a solo musician and member of The Police, Sting has received 16 Grammy Awards, two Brits, a Golden Globe, an Emmy, three Oscar nominations, Billboard Magazine's Century Award, and MusiCares 2004 Person of the Year. He is also a member of both the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and the Songwriters Hall of Fame.

"We are thrilled to be a part of bringing this exciting and unique tour with Sting to the world," said Arthur Fogel (CEO/ Chairman Live Nation global Touring). "The arrangements, combined with Sting's brilliant songwriting and musicianship, will no doubt result in a magical evening of music."

The world tour is promoted by Live Nation and produced by RZO Entertainment, Inc. in association with Universal Music Classical Management & Productions.

Want to take part in Fan Club presales, but not a member of Sting.com? Join today for presale ticket access, complete coverage of Sting's latest world tour including access to "virtual ticket", admission into Sting's worldwide fan community and more!

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